
Info
This is an African American Spiritual, as well as a sea shanty. Read more about it here.
Lyrics
(African American Spiritual)
Refrain
Roll the old chariot along, yes, (repeat)
Roll the old chariot along, if you don’t hang on behind.
If your mother’s in the way, just roll right over (repeat twice)
If she don’t hang on behind.
If your sister’s in the way…
…brother’s…
…preacher’s…
See also
- Culture: African American Spirituals
- Harmony: chords I & V
- Melody: mi, re, do / tonic triad
- Rhythm: dotted eighth note – sixteenth note patterns
- Timbre: voices
- Sea shanty version: Roll the Old Chariot
- Source: Sing ‘Round the World: International Folksongs, Vol. 1, Shirley McRae, 1990
- listen to a major key version
- Song with chords (PDF)
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song


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